Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jason Ellis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jason, appreciate you joining us today. Have you ever had an amazing boss? What did you learn from them? Maybe you can share a story that illustrates the kind of boss they were or maybe you can share your thoughts on what you think made them an awesome person to work for?

You know, my favorite boss of all time? That was thirty years ago. His name was Calvin, and he was my supervisor back when I worked at Musicland in St. Clair Square.

Now, I honestly couldn’t tell you if there’s still a music store in that mall today—probably not, right? But back then, it was the place to be.

Calvin was different. Every shift, he’d have a clear plan laid out. I’d clock in, glance at the list, and get to work. And without fail, I’d look up and there he was—doing the work too. Not barking orders from the back. Not disappearing into an office. He was on the floor, right there with us.

And that’s what stuck with me. Calvin wasn’t just a manager. He was a leader—the kind that leads by example. It’s rare. Honestly, I’ve worked at a lot of places since, run a few businesses of my own, and I still haven’t seen that kind of leadership often.

But here’s the thing: Even today, all these years later, Calvin still influences me. I think about how he showed up, how he treated people, and how he never asked anyone to do something he wasn’t willing to do himself. That left a mark. It’s something I try to bring into my own businesses—every single day.

I used to run into him from time to time—randomly at the store or in passing—but I haven’t seen him in years. Still, his impact? That’s permanent.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Yeah, my road into the cleaning business started nowhere near mops and microfiber—it started in tech.

My first IT job was at a small ISP—back when you could hear the internet connect. After that I spent a few years at Sundeckers, and then I did what a lot of people eventually do: I chased stability and benefits. I joined Bank of America at 800 Market—the big black building by the stadium in downtown St. Louis—doing ATM network configuration. From there I moved to Mastercard and worked on card and ATM configuration systems. It was deep technical work: details mattered, uptime mattered, trust mattered.

Somewhere along the way I built my first webpage—over 30 years ago—and I never stopped tinkering. Automation, systems thinking, AI… I’ve always been that guy pulling things apart to see how they can run better.

Fast-forward: I took that systems mindset and launched Bravo Maids—a residential-only cleaning company in San Diego—last year. It taught me a ton about service delivery, customer expectations, and how broken a lot of the industry still is. So I brought the model home and launched Clean Town and Country here in St. Louis. That company serves residential and commercial clients in communities like Town and Country, Ladue, Clayton, Creve Coeur, and the surrounding area.

The Real Talk: Why We’re So Serious About Trust
You don’t have to be in this industry very long to hear nightmare stories—from both sides. Clients who let cleaners in and things go missing. Cleaners who arrive at homes that look like a crime drama set. I’ve personally walked into houses that looked like somebody hit pause mid-disaster. And I’ve heard of cleaners with legal backgrounds that would make you back slowly toward the door.

That’s why we built our companies the way we did:

Background-checked cleaners. Nationwide screening before they ever step into a client’s home.
Fully insured. Protection for you, your property, and our team.
Professional standards + training. We don’t send “a random cleaner”; we send a trained service pro who follows a scope.
Satisfaction guarantee. If something’s not right, tell us—we make it right. Period.
We take security, professionalism, and client peace of mind very seriously because we’ve seen what happens when companies don’t.

What Sets Us Apart
I’m not trying to be the cheapest cleaning company in town. I’m building the most dependable, most professional experience—powered by tech, delivered by people who care. From online booking and reminders to follow-ups and quality checks, we use systems and automation to make everything smoother for busy families and property managers.

And yeah—I still think about Calvin, my old supervisor from my Musicland days, who led by doing the work alongside his team. That stuck. It’s baked into both Bravo Maids and Clean Town and Country: leaders show up, care shows up, quality shows up.

We clean homes and businesses—but what we really deliver is time back, mental space, and trust.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

If you’re not happy, we’ll make it right—simple as that. We’re not just here to clean once and disappear; we’re all about building long-term cleaning relationships—minus the awkward small talk.

Any advice for managing a team?

It’s simple: be a good human and treat people right. That’s the whole formula. I don’t need the whole St. Louis market—less than 1% is enough. I focus on finding the best cleaners, paying them well, treating them with respect—and the rest takes care of itself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cleantownandcountry.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleantownandcountry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cleantownandcountry
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/106814428/admin/dashboard/